DEF BY TEMPTATION
Not bad...for a Troma flick
Wow, I don't think I've ever seen an American movie with no white people AT ALL before, until now. Okay, there's a poster in the background of one scene with a white guy on it, but that hardly counts, do you think?
A succubus - who takes the ol' "AIDS metaphor" thing to new heights of obviousness with statements like "there's no cure for what I've given you"- is preying on numerous New York black men who aren't keeping a leash on their dicks. (no, I don't mean that LITERALLY, but they're not literally keeping a leash on their dicks either) The only things that stand between her and (presumably) world domination are a minister-in-training, an undercover X-Files- type cop, and an aspiring actor.
James Bond III (no, not Roger Moore) is the mastermind behind this one; writer, director, producer, and star. He's not a good actor, and hasn't acted (or done anything else in the movies) since. But he seems to be able to make a good movie, even if this one might not be it. It's cynical in all the wrong ways, especially towards its audience, and that's the worst thing to be cynical about. For example, did our protagonist have to be a minister-in-training? It seems excessive. Can't normal people say no to this chick? It seriously takes an up-n-coming minister to stand up to her? I don't know about you guys, but I know plenty of people with better libido control than that.
There are some creepy moments, like when a bartender serves up a glass of vomit right from the source, and the story that the X-Files guy said about the guy in the hospital. There's also a great scene with a TV set near the end, although again the symbolism (with a looming Ronald Reagan effigy behind the TV) is so ham-handed and ridiculously obvious, one wonders how much faith Bond had in the critical faculties of his audience.
The cast (other than Bond) is all quite good, though. Even Kadeem Hardison is less irritating than usual. The music here - lots of funk, rap, and R&B - just ain't my bag, as pretty much expected. Damn, I'm white.
Watch for Samuel L. Jackson in a tiny, tiny role as a preacher - needless to say, on the DVD, he's the most prominent actor on the cover. The end credits dedicate this film to the first two James Bonds. And no, I don't mean...ah, never mind. Released by Troma, it's still better than pretty much any other Troma movie I've seen. Might not be saying much, but did you guys SEE Surf Nazis Must Die?